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SOFTWOOD LUMBER
March
26, 2002
The Government of Canada, together with
the provinces, worked tirelessly to get an agreement. We put forward solid,
serious proposals.
We are disappointed that our fair and
reasonable offer could not form the basis of a policy-based solution - a
solution that would have been beneficial to all.
Our resolve remains
strong. We have said all along that we would not
settle for a deal at any cost. Canada is better off with no deal than with a bad
deal.
We are always open to resuming good
faith negotiations, but the American side will have to back down from the
excessive demands that they were making when the negotiations broke off.
Notwithstanding the Department of
Commerce’s unfair and punitive final determinations last week, we will
continue to challenge the U.S. actions in the WTO and the NAFTA.
We will continue to argue the simple
facts: that the Canadian softwood lumber industry's success in the American
market reflects its competitiveness – nothing more nothing less.
We will also be talking to our
provincial partners and the industry to assess how best to protect the interests
of communities and workers.
Our conviction is that we can win this
softwood lumber case on its merits. We have in the past and we will in the
future.
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